15 Cloud Technologies That Can Help Your Business

Cloud companies are having something of a moment in 2017. Valuations have soared for startups providing advertising technology, operational analysis, marketing analytics and other cloud-based products to businesses. The reasons are clear. Businesses are hungrier than ever for solutions that bring automation, machine learning, insights, cost efficiency and other cloud-based benefits to their operations. Below are 15 cloud technologies that can help your business in a variety of areas, from marketing and HR to operations and security.

Bizzabo

Founded in 2011 as a conference networking app, Bizzabo pivoted in 2015 to create comprehensive event management and marketing software. Today, the New York–based startup provides an end-to-end solution for event organizers -- including registration, agenda management, social networking, and analytics of guests’ digital behavior. Bizzabo, which closed a $6.5 million funding round in April, is a competitive startup in a growing market. The biggest player in the sector, Cvent, was acquired by a private equity firm for $1.65 billion last year. Meanwhile, Bizzabo has signed a number of high-profile customers to its expanding roster, including GE, Virgin, and The Lean Startup.

Connatix

In the past year, Connatix has emerged as one of the most technologically advanced players in the native advertising space—a sector often regarded as the future of online advertising. Native ads—often presented as branded blog posts—draw more eyeballs for more time, boosting advertisers’ return on investment over traditional ads. Recently, Connatix has expanded into video by launching Connatix Programming Syndication (CPS), a native video ad service. In real-time, it selects the native video that is most relevant to an individual user. It also monitors the content surrounding a video to ensure it runs in an appropriate context. Finally, Connatix partnered with GeoEdge, a security firm, to deflect fraudulent ads. The result is that Connatix can now serve as a one-stop native ad solution for both advertisers and publishers, including new high-profile customers like Meredith, Time Inc., and Conde Nast.

Feelter

The paradox of choice is the enemy of e-commerce. Presented with endless options and limitless research materials, consumers find it harder, not easier, to hit the “buy” button. Feelter’s software curates social media posts and reviews about a product from across the web and presents them right on an e-retailer’s page, in an overlay format next to each product listing. The idea is that modern consumers care much more about the honest opinions of peers than about marketing copy. CEO Smadar Landau says the inspiration for her business came from her years living in India, China and Tibet, where she learned a feel-good lesson about business: truth and authenticity are the keys to conversion and growth. Her philosophy—and tech—have managed to win over the cynics in Silicon Valley. The Israel-based startup has raised $4 million of venture funding and is now working on opening an office in the U.S.

Heap

Heap provides companies with the technology to automate the most complicated and frustrating aspects of user analytics. With just a snippet of code added to a website or iOS app, Heap will begin collecting data on every user interaction—including clicks, taps, form submissions, and page views. Data is collected constantly, and a variety of reports and insights can be created on demand. The result is high-powered analytics that can empower your business to make faster, more informed decisions – all with minimal effort. Founded in 2013 and based in San Francisco, Heap has raised $40 million in funding including a $27 million series B round closed in May.

Ledge

Ledge, a free mobile app, allows users to crowdsource loans from family and friends. The loans are small—less than $5,000—and short-term, with a maximum period of six months. They can have any interest rate and the app allows users to crowdsource the total amount needed from any number of lenders. Once a loan is subscribed, Ledge automatically distributes monthly payments to the lenders from the borrower’s bank account until the debt matures. The value proposition is clear. Ledge allows users to bypass financial institutions to get the cash they need for immediate costs. The app also eliminates the awkwardness of asking for loans face-to-face. Adam Neff and Luke Weber founded Ledge in September 2015 with $900,000 of seed funding. How did they raise the money? From family and friends, of course.

Next Caller

A provider of advanced caller ID technology, Next Caller provides detailed profile information about incoming calls as soon as the phone rings. Drawing on public databases and proprietary data mining techniques, Next Caller creates a vast database correlating phone numbers with names, email addresses, mailing addresses, company names, job titles, and other information. Next Caller’s software, which is embedded in many VoIP programs, displays the information as the phone rings and can also carry out more advanced functions like intelligently routing calls to the most relevant specialists or salespeople. The software detects fake caller ID data to help defend against spoofing. Customers find that the technology reduces waste—in the form of time that would otherwise be spent forwarding calls to the right desk—and improves rapport by ensuring that reps know who they’re talking to and why.

PandaDoc

PandaDoc replaces outdated proposal, contract, quote and HR documents and workflows with a suite of software that produces and manages smart documents. PandaDocs can include built-in electronic signatures, workflow management features, and smart templates for building documents. The company’s calling card is customization. Its software includes an app market, called the Add-On Store, that allows customers to build up the functionality of PandaDoc based on the specific needs of every workspace—whether it’s the desk of a salesperson or HR manager. Founded in 2011, PandaDoc raised a $15 million Series B round in May (bringing total funding to $20 million) to fund further growth.

Persado

Imagine a focus group that provided nearly instantaneous feedback about which marketing language and imagery will resonate most with a specific company’s customers. That’s more or less what Persado offers its customers. The company’s software uses machine learning and tests millions of combinations of words, phrases, and images -- to understand what will resonate most with a specific customer’s end-users. The company’s new product, Persado Go, enables customers to deploy the technology themselves. Persado calls it the first “self-service cognitive content generation platform.” Investors have clamored to the company. So far the New York–based company has raised $66 million in venture funding.

Prospera Technologies

Prospera Technologies applies the power of machine learning and big data to farming. Prospera feeds satellite images, drone photography, soil sensors, and weather data into its analytics software to produce insights for farmers. The key, as in any machine learning operation, is the vast trove of data the software can use to detect patterns—and predict outcomes. One of the most valuable outputs for farmers is disease diagnosis. Early detection can make the difference between curing the problem proactively and losing a whole crop—with dramatic consequences for the bottom line. Prospera’s tech also helps farmers optimize water distribution, nutrient uptake, and yield prediction. Ultimately, the company is showing how a digital startup can disrupt an antiquated industry. Currently operating mostly in Europe, the company is using the proceeds of a recent $7 million funding round to expand into new markets.

Roundforest

Roundforest uses big data to help consumers make better shopping decisions online and to enable e-commerce companies to expand their reach. Its platform steers users toward products that are predicted to be most relevant to them, while bringing leads to e-retailers. Roundforest has studied e-commerce user behavior, identified points of friction, and designed an “obstacle-free” purchase path meant to boost conversion rates. The company, whose customers are e-commerce businesses, reaches 20 million end-users per month and currently facilitates several hundred million dollars of retail sales a year. E-retailers looking for scale and automation may want to check out this company’s unique platform.

Rubrik

Rubrik provides businesses with a comprehensive cloud data management tool. The platform allows businesses to manage all their data for archival, compliance, analytics, search and backup functionality. For customers who store vast amounts of complex data across many applications -- Rubrick allows them to instantly and easily find anything they need. An army of software engineers—some based in Kansas through a partnership with Kansas University—keeps Rubrik’s architecture running smoothly and its capabilities expanding. With a $180 million Series D round closed earlier this year, Rubrik is continuing to aggressively court new customers and recruit more talent.

Smartsheet

A world leader in collaboration software, Smartsheet provides a platform that allows workers across an enterprise to collaborate and work together in real-time on spreadsheets and other documents. Used by more than half of Fortune 500 companies, the software is available as a free web application or as a fully-featured subscription version. The startup’s growth has been turbocharged by $120 million of funding, including a $52 million round closed in the first half of this year. As adoption of Smartsheet has accelerated, the business and tech press have taken note. Last year, GeekWire gave Smartsheet its Next Tech Titan Award and Forbes named the Bellevue-based company to its Cloud 100.

Trusona

Trusona is a cybersecurity startup leading the effort to replace traditional passwords and better secure the cloud and its assets. The identity authentication company has created an elegantly simple yet highly secure login alternative to the universally inconvenient and vulnerable password. Through a simple QR code scan, plus an ID swipe/scan for higher levels of protection, Trusona secures any site or app that incorporates its technology. By focusing on the uniqueness of each login interaction as the key to entrance, the tool eliminates the threat of replay attacks. Corporations – in the areas of finance, insurance, critical infrastructure and healthcare – as well as governments are Trusona’s target customers. Investors including the likes of Microsoft Ventures and Kleiner Perkins are betting on a passwordless future. In June, the company raised a second round of venture funding, bringing its total equity funding to date to $18 million.

Uptake

In late 2014, Uptake was founded to bring data science and predictive analytics to industry. Whether you are an energy, aviation, mining, rail, construction, retail or agriculture company, Uptake’s SaaS platform collects and crunches enormous amounts of data points to bring greater knowledge, and therefore decision-making, to your organization. Today the company’s valuation is north of $2 billion, and Uptake shows no signs of slowing down. In the past year it has rolled out a system to monitor three million pieces of field equipment for Caterpillar—a minority owner of Uptake—and, in March, announced a deal with Berkshire Hathaway Energy to track the performance of the company’s wind turbines.

Yotpo

Yotpo helps online businesses leverage a valuable, underutilized asset: content created by their own customers. While many businesses give users the opportunity to post product reviews, photos, and community Q&A’s, few capture all of the value this content can generate. With Yotpo, companies can take reviews and photos from, say, product pages and amplify them by converting them into marketing materials distributed through networks including Google and Instagram. Yotpo has found that among their customers’ full suite of marketing materials, the user-generated content often performs best in its ability to convert browsers into buyers and to boost user engagement. Amplifying user content across networks also pays dividends in terms of Search Engine Optimization. A pioneer in its sector, Yotpo has had no trouble attracting investors since its founding in 2011. Last year the New York–based company closed a $22 million round to bring total equity funding to $50 million.

Dan Reich is the CEO & Co-Founder of Troops, a venture-backed business that is building artificial intelligence for work. He is also the Co-Founder of TULA, a health and beauty business.

Dan Reich is the CEO & Co-Founder of Troops, a venture-backed business that is building artificial intelligence for work. He is also the Co-Founder of TULA, a health and beauty business. He has been involved with companies that have collectively raised over $100M ...